Canadian basketball has never been stronger, with a sizable stable of talent holding court in the NBA (just take a look at their FIBA World Cup odds), and an influx of both public and private investment in grassroots programs to increase the game's exposure and development in "The North".
One such initiative is the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), with its fifth season underway and bettors able to dive into a variety of markets — including futures odds to win the CEBL title.
After a 20-game regular season, the CEBL playoffs are set rolling along with just four teams remaining in the chase for the title. With the Championship Weekend taking place August 11-13, see who has the best odds heading into the do-or-die matchups.
2023 CEBL Championship odds
| Team |  |
|---|---|
| Niagara River Lions | +163 |
| Calgary Surge | +240 |
| Scarborough Shooting Stars | +260 |
| Vancouver Bandits | +450 |
Odds as of August 9, 2023.
CEBL Championship favorites
The CEBL championship odds at BetVictor are ready to rock and roll as the Conference Final matchups are set. The Niagra River Lions (+163) finished atop the Eastern Conference with a 13-7 record and will face off against the Scarborough Shooting Stars (+260) — a team fresh off of a victory over the Ottawa Blackjacks. That win bumped the Shooting Stars' odds from +1,100 to +260.
On the Western Conference side of things, the West's No. 1 seeded Calgary Surge are set to face off against the Vancouver Bandits. The Bandits may have the worst record in the postseason at 8-12 — and the longest odds to win the CEBL title — but the presence of Nick Ward's scoring ability is enough to put this team on upset watch.
Where to bet on the CEBL
BetVictor is the official sports betting partner for the CEBL during the league's 2023 season. The exciting new partnership includes parlays, futures markets, and live In-Play betting for all 107 games this year.
Past CEBL Championship winners
Here are all four CEBL Championship winners in league history.
| Season | CEBL Champion | Runner up |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Hamilton Honey Badgers | Scarborough Shooting Stars |
| 2021 | Edmonton Stingers | Niagara River Lions |
| 2020 | Edmonton Stingers | Fraser River Bandits |
| 2019 | Saskatchewan Rattlers | Hamilton Honey Badgers |
What is the CEBL?
The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) is a professional basketball league in Canada. It was established in 2018 and began its inaugural season in 2019. The league is recognized by Canada Basketball, the governing body for basketball in Canada.
The CEBL aims to provide high-level basketball competition and entertainment for Canadian basketball fans while also creating opportunities for Canadian players to showcase their skills. It features a unique blend of professional players, top Canadian talent, and international players.
The league currently consists of 10 teams: the Brampton Honey Badgers, Calgary Surge, Edmonton Stingers, Montreal Alliance, Niagara River Lions, Ottawa BlackJacks, Saskatchewan Rattlers, Scarborough Shooting Stars, Vancouver Bandits, and Winnipeg Sea Bears.
The CEBL season typically runs from May to August, allowing players to compete during the summer months when many international basketball leagues are in their offseason. The league follows FIBA (International Basketball Federation) rules and regulations.
In addition to its on-court action, the CEBL has a focus on community engagement and involvement. It aims to make a positive impact in the communities where its teams are based through various initiatives and partnerships.
Understanding CEBL Championship odds
Sportsbooks like BetVictor will post CEBL outright futures in late May before the season starts. These CEBL futures are constantly adjusted throughout the offseason as players get hurt or are traded. Once the regular season begins, CEBL outright odds will change regularly as teams win and lose games and as more players are injured or traded. Sportsbooks will also adjust the CEBL title odds based on handle and liability to certain teams.
CEBL Championship odds will usually look like this:
- Niagara River Lions +350
This means that on a $100 bet, you'll stand to win $350 if the River Lions win the CEBL title. If it's close to the end of the regular season or even during the playoffs and the CEBL has a very dominant team, you might see that a team is has a minus sign (-) ahead of its odds.
- Brampton Honey Badgers -150
This means that if you bet on the Honey Badgers during the 2023 CEBL season you would have needed to bet $150 to profit $100 if the Honey Badgers won the championship.
Above we have posted the American odds for the CEBL title. However, these are easy to convert to decimal odds or fractional odds with our odds converter tool.
Popular basketball futures odds
How to bet CEBL Championship odds
There are many strategies to consider when making a CEBL futures bet on which team will win the championship. Obviously, you're looking to bet on who you think can navigate through the CEBL playoffs and come out on top. So just because a team is in first place midway through the season, it doesn't mean that's the best roster to win in the postseason.
Also, consider how an injury may affect a futures bet. Let's say the Scarborough Shooting Stars are a heavy favorite to win the championship. But what happens if the team's leading scorer, Jalen Harris, gets hurt? In that case, a futures bet on another contender has tremendous value.
Other things to consider are strength of schedule, and even load management. Maybe a team is undervalued in the futures market because it has played the more difficult portion of its schedule early on. Or perhaps a team has more losses than it should because it has been sitting its best player on the second half of back-to-back games all season.
Check out more insight into how to bet on basketball.
